Real time transport of audio, video, and other data commonly referred to as “media” may be manipulated and rendered using computers and/or digital appliances, such as a set top box. A digital appliance is a horizontal product based on electronics technology that performs functions and uses a computer and/or a telecommunication network or other computer network to access, retrieve, interact with, report, and/or handle media or other information.
As computers and computer based appliances gain in popularity, the demand for digital media streaming services also increases. This occurs because digital media streaming can be used to create enhanced consumer and business services. For example, a manufacturer of a refrigerator may install a digital appliance that connects the refrigerator's digital appliance to the Internet. A consumer can use the digital appliance to receive digital audio/video explaining how to prepare a favorite recipe.
The digital appliances and other computers can use real time media streaming services to render media while it is streamed from the media's server computer. Real time media streaming often is preferred over pure downloading since media streaming permits a consumer to view video and/or hear the audio shortly after it is requested instead of waiting for a delayed download of the complete media and a subsequent playing of the media by the digital appliance.
Real time media streaming is difficult to implement on diverse networks, such as the internet, corporate private networks, corporate intranets, and other packet based networking solutions. This is because real-time media applications typically are resource intensive and lack sufficient state control models to ensure proper quality of service. Enhanced media streaming services generally compound the difficulties because multiple digital media streams are transmitted instead of a single digital media stream. In these instances, current technologies treat each digital media stream as an individual session with little or no association to the viewer. Moreover, existing digital media streaming devices focus on the technical transmission delivery of media, and place little control over the viewer management and media content management.
As a result, companies wishing to use digital streaming services currently face difficult tasks of managing diverse sets of equipment and software in order to provide consumers services that meet their needs. In addition, the ability to accurately track and bill consumers to whom services are provided is lacking. An improved system and method are needed to focus on viewer and media content management while simultaneously delivering a media stream having high quality. The present system and method meet those needs.